Science, Technology And The Nation’s Economic Policy

Argues the need to review our science and technology institutional framework and re- position it as an engine of growth

Science and Technology was established by Decree No 6 while Decree No 83 of 1966 was repealed. Under the Nigeria Council for Science and Technology many Research Councils were created by various decrees to drive research and development in specialised areas of natural and applied Science and Technology. These councils include:

Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria by Decree No 25 of 1971; Industrial Research Council of Nigeria by Decree No 33 of 1971; Medical Research Council of Nigeria by Decree No 1 of 1972; and Natural Sciences Research Council of Nigeria by Decree No 35 of 1973.

In 1977 NSTDA was established by Decree No 5 dissolving all preceding structures. The NCSTDA was headed by a chairman who is a Commissioner. By 1979 under a new democratic dispensation the Chairman of NCSTDA was replaced by an Honourable Minister by Decree No 55.

However, in 1980, the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology was established by parliamentary Act No 1 and thus dissolved NCSTDA and in 1984, the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology was merged with the Federal Ministry of Education to form the Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Technology.

In 1992, the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology was once more dissolved and replaced with the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure by Decree No 53 of 1992. In 1995, the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology was re-established as it exists till date.

These changes are not evolutionary changes that were targeted at producing a robust Science and Technology Institutional Framework. They were carried by the whims and caprices of those in charge. Those changes destabilised the system and often left it battered and fractured to the extent that the sector was seriously incapacitated from being a strategic tool for national development. If the government is serious about transforming our economy from an agrarian economy to an industri- alised one and diversifying our economy from a monolithic economy which is dependent on crude oil, it must address Science and Technology as a critical factor in national development programme. Science and Technology must be situated in the mainstream of our national economic policy.

There is need therefore to review previous efforts to reengineer our Science and Technology Institutional Framework and reposition it as an engine of growth and development. One of such efforts is the international review of Nigerian Science and Technology Policy and performance which was designed by UNESCO. The programme for reform of Nigerian Science and Technology and Innovation system was put in place by the federal government in collaboration with UNESCO. It was a programme developed for the reform of national Science and technology systems of developing countries and economies in transition by UNESCO.

The methodology used in the review was first developed by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) for the review of Science and Technology policies in the industrialised countries and which has been used in many other countries.

The National Coordinating Body for the review is the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology while the International Advisory Board for the reform was set up. It was presided over by Jo Ritzen, president of the University of Maaschicht, former Science Minister of the Government of the Netherlands and former Vice – President of the World Bank.

On May 23, 2006, President Olusegun Obasanjo announced a $5 billion endowment fund for the establishment of a National Science Foundation of Nigeria. The announcement was made during a briefing of the President by the International Advisory Board for the reform. On that occasion, J. Ritzen made a presentation to President Obasanjo on the theme ‘Nigeria Embraces Science and Technology for Growth: Scenario 2020’. Citing World Bank figures, Mr Ritzen made a forecast that the reform would translate into economic growth of 8-10% per annum and that the number of those living on less than $1 per day would drop from 71% to 20%.

The advantage of the Science and Technology Fund which will be raised by the Federal Government and donors is that it will help Nigeria to break away from the tradition of spending large sum of public money on Research and Development. It is estimated that a 10% return on the Fund would give the country $500 million to spend on Science and Technology every year. South Africa which is the continent’s leading Science and Technology spender has an annual budget of around $200 million per annum for Science and Technology. The total allocation to Science and Technology in National budget is around $10 million per annum.